Paying it forward: Your support matters
Three investments that have reshaped the school's future
The Maurer School of Law
In December 2008, IU President Michael A. McRobbie announced a $35 million gift to the Law School from alumnus Michael S. Maurer, JD'67 (above), and his wife, Janie. The school was renamed the Michael Maurer School of Law in recognition of Maurer's longtime support for the school and his gift for law student scholarships. The scholarships are known as the Michael and Janie Maurer Scholarships.
Maurer related the significance of his donation to his relationship with Indiana Law. "This gift is special for me because it is an opportunity to say thank you to an institution that made possible the success I have enjoyed in my legal and business career, the IU School of Law in Bloomington," he said. "Janie and I make this contribution to the Law School with confidence in Lauren Robel, who has served our school so well. We fully expect under Dean Robel's guidance that this School will be recognized as an elite institution and assuredly one of the finest public law schools in the nation."
Lowell E. Baier Hall
In 2015, Lowell E. Baier, '64, made a $20 million gift to the school. In recognition of his generosity, the law school's main building was named Lowell E. Baier Hall, and the law library was the Jerome Hall Law Library in honor of a longtime law school professor who was a mentor to Baier and many other alumni. The gift, which will be distributed annually over a period of years, will be used to enhance the law school’s facilities, including its long-term renovation and expansion.
“Lowell Baier’s extraordinary legacy gift provides tremendous support to the school,” said Austen L. Parrish, dean and James H. Rudy Professor of Law. “His generosity will enable us to plan for a learning environment that matches the quality of our students’ academic experience.”
“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to make this gift to the law school,” said Baier. “In particular, I am pleased that the library will be renamed in honor of Professor Hall, whose teaching and mentoring were so crucial to my success as a student, and whose wisdom has continued to guide me throughout my career. This gift will ensure the continuing integrity of the law school building and the law library, its very soul, inspiring the best in academic and scholastic achievement — remember, a sense of place creates a sense of purpose.”
Lilly Endowment Inc.
Under the leadership of then-Dean Lauren Robel, a $25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. in 2007 has enabled Indiana Law to attract and retain exceptional teachers and scholars and to establish the school as one of the very best public universities in the country. “[The gift] will help us position the Law School at the forefront of legal education by enabling the school to vigorously compete for the very best faculty and students from around the globe,” said IU President Michael McRobbie. Said Sara B. Cobb, the Endowment’s vice president for education: “We are enthused about Dean Robel’s vision for the Law School to achieve even higher levels of excellence and solidify its reputation among the finest law schools in the country.”